Auxiliary wheel



Dec. 21, 1937. 1 R, CATAUNA 2,102,835

AUXILIARY WHEEL Filed May l5, 1937 INVENTOR James fz? Caa//na ATTOR EY Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to auxiliary wheels for automotive vehicles and more particularly to a safety appliance for automobiles.

The high speeds at which modern automotive 5 vehicle travel make the safety of the passengers depend upon the tires to a large extent. Serious and sometimes fatal accidents frequently occur if, when traveling at a high speed, a blowout is experienced, causing swerving of the car l either into a passing vehicle or over an embankment or into an obstruction.

One object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary or emergency wheel in addition to the usual wheels of an automotive vehicle so that,

l in event of a blowout, accidents will be avoided.

Another object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary wheel which, in event of a puncture or deflation of a tire will permit the vehicle to be driven to a service station so that the driver of the car will not be stranded, necessitating the changing of the tire or wheel on the road.

Another object of my invention is to provide auxiliary wheels for automotive vehicles in such a manner that the overall width of the automobile is not increased.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In general, my invention contemplates the application of auxiliary wheels to an automotive vehicle in such a manner that the original service wheels will not be interfered with, while the auxiliary wheels will be ready for service in event of -deflation of the tire of one oi the regular wheels of the automotive vehicle.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of the instant speclilcatlon and is to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views;

4o Figure 1 is an elevation of the front axle of an automotive vehicle equipped with auxiliary wheels in combination with a knee-action suspension according to my invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the rear axle of an automotive vehicle equipped with auxiliary wheels according to my invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on aline 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on a. line 4--4 oi Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on a line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a detail. More particularly referring now to the drawing, a pair of bearing supporting members I are secured to the front axle of an automotive vehicle in any suitable manner inboard of the front wheels I3. The bearing supporting mem- `bers I are provided with bearings 2 which support small auxiliary wheels 3 provided with solid 5 rubber tires 4. The bearing supporting members I are pivotally mounted upon ball bearings 5 adapted to run in a thrust plate 6 and a race 1 provided in the bearing supporting member I. 'I'he spring 20 of the knee-action takes the thrust l0 through lower knee-action arm 2|. These arms are pivoted at 22 and are formed with a thrust plate 23 to which the bearing members I are pivotally secured by means of a bolt extension 24 and a nut 25. Each of the bearing supporting l5 members I is provided with an arm 8 secured in any suitable manner as, for example, by means of knuckle 9, to a tie rod I0. The tie rod I0 is secured by means of a coupling member II to the steering tie rod I2 of the automobile. In- 20' asmuch as the bearing supporting members I are pivotally mounted, as can readily be seen by reference to Figure 5, and are secured to a tie rod I0, it will be obvious that, when the wheels I3 are turned by means of the steering mechanism 25 of the automobile, that the auxiliary wheels 3 will follow the movements of the front wheels I3. The clearance of the auxiliary wheels is such that normally, when the tires of the iront wheels I3 are properly inflated, they will be oil the ground 30 a suillcient distance to allow for movement of the' springs. If, however, the front wheels become deilated or either of them, the auxiliary wheel will bear the load and permit the vehicle to be driven to the next filling station to permit the 35 repair of the tire.

The rear auxiliary wheels I4 are similar in construction to the front auxiliary wheels and are mounted upon similar wheel supporting members I5 and likewise provided with solid rubber 40 tires I8. The rear auxiliary wheel supporting members I5 are secured to the rear axle I6' inboard of the rear wheels Il by means of U-bolts I8 in the vicinity and bearing upon the rear springs I9. It will be obvious that the-construc- 45 tion is such that, should the tires oi the rear wheels I1 become deflated, the weight of the vehicle will be borne upon the auxiliary wheels Il through the rear springs I9, as will be readily seen by reference to Figure 4. 50

I am aware that the art of providing an auxiliary wheel either secured to the main wheel or co-axial with its axle, is old. The disadvantages of the prior art, however, have been to increase the width of the vehicle, giving it a greater pro- 55 jected area on the road and involving changes in the design of the axle. My construction is such that it can be applied to any vehicle without involving a change in its design in such a manner that it will not increase its width.

My construction is a simple, inexpensive one which will contribute to the safety of automobile vehicles in general.

It will be observed that I have accomplished the objects of my invention and that I have provided an auxiliary wheel which will enable a vehicle to be-driven upon the failure of any one or several of the tires of an automobile.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In an automotive vehicle having pneumatic tired front wheels, a knee-action assembly for supporting said front wheels, said knee-,action lncluding a pair of springs and a pair of pivoted knee-action arms, auxiliary wheels of smaller diameter than said vehicle Wheels, means for'pivotally mounting said auxiliary wheels on said knee-action arms at points closer to the longitudinal center line of the vehicle than said vehicle wheels and on axes below the axes of said vehicle Wheels, said auxiliary Wheels being supported with their peripherles clear of the ground but sufflciently close thereto that, upon deflation of the tires of said -vehicle wheels, said auxiliary wheels will contact the ground-to support said vehicle through said knee-action assembly, means on said vehicle for pivoting said front vehicle wheels to steer said vehicle, a tie rod for interconnecting said front auxiliary wheels, a link for connecting said tie rod with'said means for pivoting said front vehicle wheels whereby, when said front auxiliary Wheels or either of them is supporting a portion of the weight of said vehicle, said vehicle may be steered by the steering means for said front vehicle wheels.

JAMES R. CATALINA. 

